The cobbler’s child

Building a race car is like putting an addition on your house: it always takes far longer than you expect, but once it’s finished, the angst and impatience vanish.

Because I’m co-owner of a company that builds race cars, you might think I’d have some weight to throw around. You might think I could put some pressure on the guys at the shop to get my hot rod ready for its debut.

Nah. Quite the opposite. I’d rather see Flatout Motorsports focusing on clients’ cars. If I miss a few races because we’re keeping customers happy, I can live with that.

Besides, there’s tangible progress to report, as documented in the photo above (snapped by Flatout’s Mike Knapp). My Honda S2000, which I’ll race in Sports Car Club of America’s Improved Touring R class, has been painted white and red, Japan’s traditional racing colors, and is being reassembled. The front and rear subframes have been reinstalled, as have the bulk of the braking and steering systems.

As the suspension components receive their custom bearings and go together, I promise (threaten?) to shoot pics of the underside that only car geeks will love.

Present completion target: a May 11 test day at Lime Rock Park, followed by a race at the same track. Will we make it? Stay tuned!